Chapter 133 New European Order

Probably no one thought that the first league champion of the 2007/2008 European five major leagues would be Florence. Among the other four leagues, Lyon's dominance is unshakable. Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, Manchester United in the Premier League, and Real Madrid in La Liga have all accumulated It is a great advantage, but the first person to reach the top of the championship is actually unknown. In the past, it could only be strong in Florence in Italy.

People suddenly feel that European football is really going to change.

In the Champions League, which symbolizes the top football events in Europe, the traditional giants have gradually declined, and the strong rise of the emerging aristocracy has become the main theme of this season. In the past, those countries that have almost monopolized the Champions League have performed poorly this season, but have not attracted much attention.

The Bundesliga has inevitably gone to a low point. Although the Champions League is not over, for the Bundesliga team, their Champions League journey this season has ended early with the exit of Schalke 04. But even so, Schalke's success in breaking into the quarterfinals is still worthy of the pride of the Germans.

It's just a pity that there are too few surprises like them this season. Bremen and Stuttgart's double halberd group matches are lamentable. Moreover, this year's Champions League lack Bayern. This is the first time in 10 years that the Bundesliga lack their flag bearers in the Champions League. Stuttgart, Bremen and Schalke have to carry Heavy responsibilities.

But disappointingly, Stuttgart, as the league champion last season, lost 1 in the group stage, at the bottom. This is also another great shame that the Bundesliga team suffered after Hamburg last season. Although Stuttgart is not as strong as Barcelona and Lyon, the result of home and away defeats is still somewhat unacceptable. In the end, they couldn't even compete with the Glasgow Rangers in Scotland, so they could only watch their opponents disqualify for the UEFA Cup. Stuttgart's Champions League trip this season was a complete failure.

The performance of Bremen is also unsatisfactory. In the group with Real Madrid, Lazio and Olympiacos, it should be said that Bremen still has the ability to compete for a knockout place. Unfortunately, although Bremen has defeated strong teams such as Lazio and Real Madrid at home, it has suffered two consecutive defeats against weak teams like Olympiacos. In the end, he only won the third place in the group and could only participate in the UEFA Cup for the second year in a row. Such a result is inevitably sighing and leaves Schalke 04 alone in the knockout stage of the Champions League.

The only surprise in the Bundesliga came from Schalke 04. The least favored Bundesliga team in the Champions League before this season has created a miracle. They successfully broke through with a record of 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses in the group stage and entered the 16 of the Champions League as the second in the group, which is impressive. In the knockout stage, they also continued to write magic. In the eighth final with Porto, Schalke, with Kurani's goal and Neuer's magical performance, finally eliminated Porto through a penalty shootout, helping the club reach the quarterfinals for the first time in its history, and also avoided the embarrasment of the Bundesliga team saying goodbye to Europe early. .

Although they were unfortunately out by Liverpool in the end, their performance undoubtedly won people's respect.

Judging from the overall performance of the Bundesliga team in the Champions League this season, the progress of Schalke 04 is certainly gratifying. But Bremen still does not stop, while Stuttgart continues the embarrassing "tradition" that there must be a Bundesliga team to lose face in the Champions League every year.

Therefore, it can be said that the "answer" handed over by the Bundesliga team in this season's Champions League is still unsatisfactory. Even Schalke 04 has exposed the lack of attack power and lack of experience in the Champions League, so the level of the Bundesliga team in the Champions League still needs to be improved.

Now the Bundesliga is also coming to an end. Bremen and Schalke 04 have secured two places in the Champions League ahead of schedule. I believe that after the experience and lessons learned in previous seasons, they will become more mature next season, and people have reason to expect them to contribute better results.

What is more worth looking forward to is the Bundesliga overlord Bayern Munich, who will return to the Champions League next season. With the most luxurious team in the Bundesliga, they will also move towards new honors and glory under the leadership of Klinsmann.

It is no exaggeration to say that with Bayern's existing lineup and this summer's transfer, they are fully capable of competing with any opponent next season, and next season's Bayern is also likely to lead Bremen and Schalke 04 to achieve a revival in the Champions League.

Compared with the sinking of the Bundesliga, the performance of La Liga teams in the Champions League this season can only be described as weakness.

In the summer of 2000, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia met in the top four of the Champions League. The final turned into a civil war in La Liga, and the Galactic battleship finally reached the top for the eighth time with a 3-0 slaughter of the Bat Legion. The bullfighting was the same for a moment, and La Liga also won a pole position in the European League standings and unified Europe.

After leading for eight years, La Liga finally handed over the "jin qi" to the Premier League, and the end of the crossbow became the best adjective of the Iberian heroes.

The most glorious moment in La Liga is the alternation of the new and old centuries. Since the 99/00 season, three La Liga teams have appeared in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League for four consecutive years. Since the 99/00 season, La Liga has won two Champions League trophies and two runners-up in three years. The gorgeous style of attack, attack and re-attack has fascinated fans all over the world.

However, the prosperity is bound to decline. Since the 03/04 season, there have been no three La Liga teams in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, and there is no La Liga team in the quarterfinals in the 04/05 season. Although Barcelona reached the semi-finals in the 05/06 season, the appearance of Degan made dreams The second team's climbing to the top of Europe became a fantasy, and the rapid collapse of Barcelona was far more shocking than exciting.

Valencia is the first La Liga team to bid farewell to the European battlefield this season. In the first round of the group stage, the bat team dropped the biggest opponent Schalke 04, but then bid farewell to the Champions League with a record of 3 draws and 2 losses. In the final four games, Valencia did not even score a goal! Turbulence became the key word of Valencia this season. The players joined hands to kill Flores, and Koeman's purge ended with his walk. In addition to internal factors, the complete defeat of the transfer is also one of the keys to Warren's sharp decline this season, and key signings such as zhkic and Fernandez have not been of any use.

Real Madrid and Sevilla have stopped in the eighth final one after another. As the first newcomer to enter the Champions League, Sevilla's performance is enough to win respect. Andalusian sexy offensive football is eye-catching. But the lack of experience became a fatal injury to Seville, and the death of Puerta and Ramos also hurt the team. In the face of Fenerbahce, who is recognized as a weak traveler in the top 16, Sevilla suffered a tragic reversal with a big lead at home. How to achieve offensive and defensive balance has become a problem that Andalusians can never solve. Now that Seville has become a star supermarket, this new army that has risen rapidly in the past three years is likely to degenerate rapidly.

If Seville leaves regrets, Real Madrid can only blame itself for being inferior. This is the fourth consecutive season that Real Madrid has stopped outside the quarterfinals of the Champions League, setting the worst record in the club's history. Calderon has been calling for the Triple Crown every year, but in terms of the personnel composition of this Real Madrid, it has not reached the level of three parallel. In the second round of the battle with Rome, Fanny and Robben were injured, Ramos was suspended, and Higuain and Delente did not reach the level of their brothers. In order to truly achieve a breakthrough in Europe next season, Real Madrid will have to do its homework in the transfer market this summer.

Although Barcelona easily qualified, it met Florence, the most popular in Europe, in the first round of the knockout. The Red and Blues were really unlucky. The battle pays attention to the right time, place and people, and Barcelona is at a lower hand in all three aspects. Barcelona was basically unable to win the La Liga championship against Fiorentina. The hope and despair of the whole season were concentrated in the Camp Nou, and the heavy pressure made the players seriously abnormal. Barcelona gangs are full of conflicts, and Camp Nou is used to entertaining players with boos and white handkerchiefs, and there is obviously no way to talk about the location. People and people? Ronaldinho will know that Barcelona will be officially rebuilt this summer, and the painful period is inevitable. Next season, it will be difficult for the Red and Blues to maintain a strong competitiveness in the Champions League in the past three years.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have their own difficulties, and it is also difficult for the new nobles Villarel and Atletico Madrid to place hope. Villarel relies on a group of balloon stars eliminated by giants, and the thickness of the yellow submarine is difficult to cope with the two-line battle. Atletico has always played second-class football with the mentality of a rich family, and the impetuousness of the club's senior officials and fans is also among the best in Europe. Not surprisingly, the sinking of La Liga has just begun.

Following the civil war between La Liga and Serie A in 2000 and 2003 UEFA Champions League finals, the third civil war "All England Open" appeared in this season's Champions League semi-finals. With its strong performance in Europe, England also surpassed La Liga in the UEFA League coefficient ranking again after 22 years.

In terms of economy and competition, the Premier League team has reached its peak this season. And what's more frightening is that except Manchester United, the other three Premier League teams have also maintained strong combat effectiveness in the knockout match.

There has long been a folk saying that there is a "food chain" in European football, that is, the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga, and La Liga. As a result, this rule has been fulfilled again this season.

Manchester United met Rome with 3 wins and 1 draw, blocking the Serie A runner-up from the top four. Roma's 1:7 old revenge has not been revenged, but it can only add a few more blood debts.

Liverpool's 16-strong battle, double-kill Serie A defending champion Inter Milan, Arsenal also eliminated the Champions League defending champion AC Milan in the first round of the knockout stage, and sealed the Rossoneri in two rounds. It can be said that Serie A's worst overall defeat in the Champions League in the past four seasons is directly related to the Premier League team.

There are also fan jokes that the rules mentioned above are still applicable in previous seasons. This season's rules are: Premier League to defeat Serie A, Premier League to La Liga, Premier League to defeat Bundesliga, and Premier League to defeat Ligue 1. Although it is exaggerated, it is not unreasonable at all.

The strength of the Premier League in the Champions League is by no means a sudden outbreak of this season. Since the 2004/05 season, there must be an England club in the Champions League final for four consecutive seasons. In the past two seasons, there has been a situation in the top four of the Champions League to seize three seats.

Although Chelsea failed to reach the semi-finals, it is the most stable team in the Champions League in the past five seasons. It is not easy to reach the semi-finals at least three times. Liverpool have reached the top four three times in the past four seasons, two of which have won the cup once in the final, almost comparable to AC Milan.

Kevin. Keegan once made such remarks as "uninteresting in the Premier League" at the end of this season, which means that the "four families" have always held the top four in the domestic league.

It is true that this has happened four times in the Premier League in the past five seasons, and the only exception in the 2004/05 season is that Liverpool has received special care from UEFA, so that the four families can still fight side by side in the Champions League.

Such a stable battle in Europe's top leagues has enabled the "four families" to accumulate rich experience in European, two-line and even multi-line combat, which is the key to the Premier League to achieve stable and excellent results in the Champions League in recent years.

The Premier League turned the semi-final of the Champions League into a civil war of the Premier League. After seizing three seats in the top four of the Champions League for the second consecutive year, the Premier League finally achieved the rule of the highest-level events of European clubs, while Serie A, which once established a dynasty, is now like an old man and can only immerse itself in the memory of the glory of the past.

Over the past 20 years, Serie A has been regarded as one of the highest-level football leagues in the world. In the 1990s, it was even known as the "Little World Cup", and it was their success in Europe that created such a reputation for Serie A.

From 1992/93 to 1997/98, Serie A teams have won six consecutive Champions League finals. In the past 20 years, Serie A teams have won the Champions League seven times in the same period in Europe.

In the 2002/03 season, the traditional top three of Serie A reached the Champions Cup semi-finals at the same time. AC Milan and Juventus met in the final, just like today's Premier League.

However, the dynasty will rise and fall, and it will fall after its peak. In the 2003/04 Champions League, there was only one team in Serie A, AC Milan, which advanced to the top 8, but the pace of the Rossoneri stopped.

Due to the contraction of the Italian economy and the subsequent blow of the "telephone door" scandal on the Serie A, the competitiveness of Serie A teams in Europe continues to decline, first surpassing La Liga in league points, and then falling to the Premier League, the former "Little World Cup" has become the third league in Europe.

Although AC Milan broke through the Premier League blockade and won the Champions League crown in 2005/2006 and 2006/07, it is more like a return to the Giant's death.

The traditional giants of Serie A bowed their heads at the same time in the Champions Cup this season, which is the true portrayal of today's Serie A position in Europe.

Lazio is proof of the decline in the overall strength of Serie A in the past two years. Although it is not as funny as Chievo's appearance in the Champions Cup in the 2006/07 season, the Blue Eagles also used the phone door to hit a large number of Serie A strong teams to "successfully" get on the last bus to the Champions Cup, and It does not have the strength to compete in the Champions League. Although the fighting spirit of the Blue Eagle Legion is commendable, it still failed to break through from the almost weakest Group C. It was not until the fourth game that Lazio won a victory, followed by two consecutive defeats, and Lazio, who was at the bottom of the group, could not even get a place in the UEFA Cup.

Lazio's participation is surprising, so their exit is logical. Relatively, the strength is stronger, but Milan's two heroes, which were generally favored at the beginning of the season, disappointed all Serie A fans.

AC Milan, with the momentum of defending champion, is the favorite to win the championship, but the group stage was extremely difficult, two defeats Fiorentina. If it weren't for the last game with Kaka's excellent performance, maybe the Rossoneri could rest early after the group stage, but AC Milan finally broke out of the group and let AC Milan, which was depressed in the league, once again bet on the Champions Cup. However, although AC Milan, whose average age is too old, won the championship last season, it is already the end of the crossbow. The overall strength of the Rossoneri, which did not strengthen in the summer, has no advantage in Europe, and Kaka also lost the sharpness of a year ago due to injury and fatigue, so that AC Milan was beaten to the 1/8 final when he met Arsenal, which was in the limelight at that time. Experience failed to defeat the "physical strength" in the end, and AC Milan lost without any excuse. It can only be said that the blind arrogance of the management of the Rossoneri team ruined them throughout the season.

AC Milan's defeat has a reason to follow, and Inter Milan's hatred again can only make people angry. This season marks the centenary, and Moratti clearly pointed out that the goal is to make a breakthrough in the Champions League.

In the summer arms race, Inter Milan upgraded its lineup, with the most dazzling starting lineup and the strongest bench depth in Europe. They also played a very high level in the group stage and advanced to the top 16 with the best record after Manchester United.

At this time, Italy was full of praise. Many famous people were optimistic about the Nerazzurri and went straight to the peak. Unexpectedly, Inter Milan humiliatedly lost two Liverpool in the 1/8 final and immediately suspended the Champions League journey.

Injuries are an excuse for Inter Milan, but not the root cause. The team's mentality imbalance before the key battles and the mismanagement of the head coach's on-the-spot command are the problems that the Nerazzurri can never go further. Inter Milan has been fighting for the Champions League for years, but it is not surprising that they have never made a breakthrough.

While Milan's two heroes were frustrated, Roma surprised Italian football. The team that was swept by Manchester United 7:1 last season played a stable role this time. They followed Manchester United to advance to the top 16 and eliminated La Liga overlord Real Madrid in the 1/8 final and advanced to the top 8, because Milan's two heroes were in 1 The Apennine Peninsula, which withered and felt depressed in the 8 final, brought a trace of joy. In particular, he defeated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium to make the world realize the combat effectiveness of the Roman youth army. Although Rome fell at Manchester United's feet again in the subsequent quarter-finals, it can only be said that it is indeed not as good as others. From the perspective of the style of football, Roma, with a technical flow, has always been afraid of the British team, and it is not surprising to lose when they meet Manchester United. The elimination of European giants such as Lyon and Real Madrid for two consecutive seasons proves that Roma has the strength to make a comeback next season.

Of course, the biggest surprise came from Florence. It won six games in the group stage, and in the eighth final, Barcelona was slaughtered away. In the quarter-finals, it swept Chelsea at home and entered the semi-finals, becoming the only non-premire Premier League team in the semi-finals, avoiding England. The top four monopolize the UEFA Champions League.

However, the rise of Florence does not represent the overall strength of Italian football, especially in the league, which wins five rounds ahead of schedule, which proves the fact that the overall competitiveness of Serie A is declining. I'm afraid that the scene of competing with men at the beginning can no longer be realized in Italian football.

Although there are surprises brought by Florence and Rome, in any case, this season's Champions League is still a frustrated journey for the strong in Serie A, and the root cause is the decline in the overall strength of Serie A.

In the seven-sister era, no one would put the honor of Serie A on a certain team, but now Italy has only one team in Florence, which is really strong enough to compete for hegemony in Europe.

In fact, the Serie A, ruled by a newly powerful group like Florence, may itself be a reflection of the regression of Serie A.

Next season, the prospects of Serie A in the Champions Cup are still bleak. Although Juventus are very likely to return to the Champions League, the Bianconeri are still under reconstruction, while the most experienced AC Milan is still struggling for a Champions League list and is likely to be relegated to play in the UEFA Cup. The only hope of Serie A is still Florence.

Not to mention next season, in today's Champions League top four, Fiorentina will face being surrounded by the Premier League top three, whether it can break through, and whether it can reach the Champions League final for the second time after 51 years is a big challenge for Florence's young guards.

After the celebration of winning the championship, Fiorentina will face the challenge of Arsenal. Although the Gunners led by Professor Wenger did not perform well in the league this season, they showed dominance for the first time in the Champions League, especially against AC Milan in two rounds. In the competition, the Gunners lost the face of the defending champion.

On the day he arrived in Florence, Wenger was interviewed by the Italian media: "For Arsenal, Italy is a blessed place, and we rarely lose here. Inter Milan, AC Milan, now Florence, I am very much looking forward to getting a satisfactory one after 90 minutes of the game. The result!"